The vessel, operated by state-owned General National Maritime Transport Co (GNMTC), was chartered by Libya’s National Oil Corporation.

According to media reports, one person was killed in the attack. The internationally recognised government in exile in Benghazi claimed that the vessel was carrying reinforcements and weapons for the rival regime in Tripoli.

“Our jets warned an unflagged ship off Sirte city, but it ignored the warning,” government official Saqer al-Joroushi told Reuters.

“We gave it a chance to evaluate the situation, then our fighting jets attacked the ship because it was unloading fighters and weapons.

“The ship is now on fire. We are in war and we do not accept any security breaches, whether by land, air, or sea.”

It is not the first time Anwaar Afriqya has been caught in the political tensions.

In March 2011, the tanker was hijacked by a group of armed rebels and diverted to the Port of Tobruk near the border with Egypt. The rebels eventually returned the tanker to GNMTC.

Earlier this month, Libyan forces bombed the 1997-built 5,100 dwt Cook Islands-flagged Tuna 1 in international waters as it approached the Port of Tobruk, killing the third officer.

Two tankers were bombed by Libyan forces in January, including the 1991-built 26,000 dwt Araevo, which is owned by Greece’s Aegean Oil. Two seafarers were killed in the attack.

As the third anniversary of the entry into force of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) approaches, Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI) is embarking on a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of the Convention. The study has been commissioned by the International Transport Workers’ Federation. It will be an in-depth and... Read more →